Psalm 115

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Psalm 115
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1 Not to us, O LORD, not to us but to your name
be the glory, because of your love and
faithfulness.2 Why do the nations say, "Where is
their God?"3 Our God is in heaven he does
whatever pleases him.4 But their idols are
silver and gold, made by the hands of men.5 They
have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but they
cannot see6 they have ears, but cannot hear,
noses, but they cannot smell7 they have hands,
but cannot feel, feet, but they cannot walk nor
can they utter a sound with their throats.8
Those who make them will be like them, and so
will all who trust in them.9 O house of Israel,
trust in the LORD-- he is their help and
shield.10 O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD--
he is their help and shield.
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11 You who fear him, trust in the LORD-- he is
their help and shield.12 The LORD remembers us
and will bless us He will bless the house of
Israel, he will bless the house of Aaron,13 he
will bless those who fear the LORD-- small and
great alike.14 May the LORD make you increase,
both you and your children.15 May you be blessed
by the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.16
The highest heavens belong to the LORD, but the
earth he has given to man.17 It is not the dead
who praise the LORD, those who go down to
silence18 it is we who extol the LORD, both now
and for evermore. Praise the LORD.
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Idols in OT

• objects within creation
• Deut 415-19
• demonic
• Deut 3216-17
• work of human hands
• Mic 513
• Isa 44 12-20
• vs. 17 save me, you are my god

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In worshiping them, we give them allegiance, we
attribute power and authority, we submit
ourselves to something that we ourselves have
created.CJH Wright - The Mission of God p. 153
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What effect do idols have?

• diminish God
• make us less human
• ultimately disappointing

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Idols today?

• things that entice us
• things that we fear
• things that we trust in
• things that we need

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Having alienated ourselves from the living God
our Creator, we have a tendency to worship
whatever makes us tremble with awe as we feel our
tiny insignificance in comparison with the great
magnitudes that surround us. We seek to placate
and ward off whatever makes us vulnerable and
afraid. We then counter our fears by investing
inordinate and idolatrous trust in whatever we
think will give us ultimate security we crave.
And we struggle to manipulate and persuade what
we believe will provide all our basic needs and
enable us to prosper on the planetp. 171 The
Mission of God.
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Col 35Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs
to your earthly nature sexual immorality,
impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is
idolatry .
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What can we do?

• Cease to serve the idols
• Undermine their power
• Trust the Lord